Field notes — how this work actually works
Know what’s growing on your house.
These notes explain what’s actually on your surfaces, why the wrong cleaning method makes it worse, and what the right treatment looks like — so you can hold anyone you hire to it. Including us.
What would we look at on your property?
Tap the surfaces you have. This is how an assessment gets built — one surface at a time, each with its own checks.
Tap what your property has
A preview of how we look at a property — the real walkthrough is written on-site, for yours.
- 01RoofOrganic growth — where it's active, where it's spreading
- 02RoofDebris in valleys and along the ridge
- 03RoofWhich sections the method has to change for
- 04Siding / stuccoFilm and mildew — which walls, which exposure
- 05Siding / stuccoThe chemistry match for your material
- 00Windows & screensBuildup on glass, frames, and sills
- 00Windows & screensScreen condition before any water touches them
- 00GuttersFlow check, downspouts included
- 00GuttersStaining on the exterior face — the streaks you see from the street
- 00Driveway & walkwaysSurface dirt vs. stains that live in the concrete — we tell you which is which
- 00Driveway & walkwaysJoints, edges, and borders
- 00PaversGrowth and grime in the joints
- 00PaversExisting sealer condition, noted for the record
- 00Solar panelsSoiling level, panel by panel
- 00Solar panelsPure-water rinse plan — no chemistry near the array
- 06Every jobPlant and landscape protection plan — pre-soak, cover, neutralize, rinse
Straight answers, before you call anyone.
What drives the price of exterior cleaning in Roseville?
Six things: how much surface there is, what it's made of, what's on it and whether any stain needs its own treatment, how the surfaces are reached, whether several services share one visit, and where the water goes. There is no rate card, because no two properties cost the same to do properly — the free assessment settles it in writing before you decide. Each driver is explained in the field note on what exterior cleaning costs.
Soft wash or pressure wash — what's the difference?
Pressure cleans by force and takes the top layer of whatever it hits — fine on some concrete, ruinous on roofs, siding, stucco and wood. A soft wash uses low pressure, a cleaning solution matched to the surface, and time; it kills the growth at the root rather than shearing it off. Roofs and houses are always soft washed here.
Is roof cleaning worth it, and does it damage the roof?
Pressure washing damages roofs — it strips shingle granules and cracks tile. A soft wash does not: the solution goes on at low pressure and is either rinsed at garden-hose volume (tile) or left to shed with the weather (shingle). Whether it is worth it depends on what is growing on it; the assessment tells you honestly, and sometimes the answer is 'not yet'.
How often should a house, roof, driveway or panels be cleaned?
There is no single number. Shaded north walls, roofs under trees and sprinkler-side windows need attention sooner; sunny south walls stay clean far longer. The written report gives you an interval for your property rather than a rule of thumb.
Power washing or pressure washing?
The same thing for most purposes. 'Power washing' usually means the water is heated; the work we do on homes is cold-water pressure washing and soft washing, and the method matters far more than the name.
Where does the wash water go?
A drain survey happens on every job; wash water never goes to a storm drain; sites that need wash-water capture are scoped and equipped before booking.
Will you tell me if something can't be fixed?
Yes, and in writing. Permanent staining, oxidation, rust pitting and etching are in the material itself, not on top of it. The assessment says which marks will lift and which will only lighten before you commit to anything.
Rather have someone just look at it? That’s free.